A Machine-to-Machine/Man (M2M) communication system consists of M2M nodes and an underlying network. The M2M nodes communicate with one another through the underlying network. An M2M node may include an Application Entity (AE), or may include an AE and a Common Service Entity (CSE). The AE is a logical unit that executes an M2M application. The CSE is a logical unit that manages and serves the M2M application. An underlying Network Service Entity (NSE) provides services such as equipment management, location-based service, equipment triggering and the like for the CSE. For example, the NSE may be embodied as a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) and an MTC-Inter Working Function (MTC-IWF) entity.
Communication between M2M applications may be implemented by interaction between the CSEs. The M2M applications are required to be registered in the CSEs. The CSEs are also required to be mutually registered before the CSEs can conduct mutual communication in order to implement interaction between the M2M applications. The architecture of an M2M system is shown in FIG. 1.
In the architecture of an M2M system, an application node is an end execution node, for example, an intelligent electric meter, a temperature measurement and control sensor, a fire alarm and an intelligent home appliance. A Middle Node (MN) is middleware that connects an end execution node to a network-side server, and may be embodied as a gateway. An Infrastructure Node (IN) is a network-side server. An AE registered to an IN (also referred to as IN-AE), may be a management platform of an M2M Service Provider (M2M SP).
Application nodes may be divided into two categories according to different functions: nodes including CSEs and nodes including no CSEs. An ADN includes one AE, and does not include any CSE. An Application Service Node (ASN) includes one AE and one CSE.
During a practical application, when an application on a server is required to communicate with an application on an ASN, that is, when an IN-AE is required to communicate with an AE of the ASN (also referred to as ASN-AE), a CSE of the ASN (also referred to as ASN-CSE) needs to be triggered to establish a connection with a CSE of the IN (also referred to as IN-CSE). Since the IN is a network-side server, a triggering message may need to be sent through an underlying network.
However, ADNs are application nodes including no CSEs. For the problem on how to implement communication between an application on a server and an application on an ADN, i.e. how to implement communication between an IN-AE and an ADN-AE, there is yet no effective mechanism for triggering connection establishment in a related technology.